The seaside village of Hopkins is one of the top tourist destinations in Belize but the gravel road to coastal getaway is 4.5 miles of rough riding all the way. It's been paved before but that was a bloated contract special and only a few chips of that pavement remain. But, now with over five million dollars in EU grant funding, Hopkins road should finally be getting a proper pavement. A launching ceremony to mark the start of work was held today – and Minister of State Santino Castillo underscored the importance of a good roadway to tourism and trade.
Hon. Santiago Castillo Jr. – Minister of State, PM's Office
"There are approximately 90 tourism based businesses in Hopkins ranging from All-Inclusive hotel and villa properties to beach cabanas, small bars, restaurants, gift shops and rental services. Hopkins toursim, therefore, is incalculable. No tourism plan, however, can be effective if it doesn't have the necessary infrastructure to support it. The government is conscious of this fact and therefore today I am pleased to join the Minister of Works and Transport and his staff to formally launch the rehabilitation of 4.5 miles of the Hopkins Village Road project valued at $5.6m to be implemented over the span of one year. Today we have both Ravel and Rodeo with us and I will challenge them to finish it before the 12 months. This road project will not only contribute tremendously to the further development of toursim in this area but also to the development of Hopkins Village since transportation and access to the village will be easier, thus creating greater business opportunities for all of you."
Work will be done by Belize Roadway Construction in partnership with Rodla Construction Company Ltd. They will heighten of the road, widen the bridges and install 32 culverts to manage flood waters and help to prevent the deterioration of the paved surface. A 300 foot long structure will be incorporated on a portion of the road closer to the entrance of the village to permit water to be effectively roll off without causing structural damage to the pavement.
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